Ann Elizabeth Greene Cole passed away on November 2, 2026. She was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on December 9, 1935, the youngest child of Arthur and Kathryn Greene. She outlived all five of her siblings: Arthur, Joan, Carol, Dick, and Bob.

She was also preceded in death by her husband, S.P. (King) Cole, who passed away in 2013.

She is survived by her three daughters, Kim Cole of Salem, NH, Candace Cole of Dover, VT, and Coral Cole Teza of Encinitas, CA; her grandson, Cole Teza of San Francisco, CA; and her granddaughter, Jacquelyn Teza of San Francisco, CA.

Ann lived a remarkable and wonderfully full life.

As a young girl, her family owned a summer home on a strawberry farm in Derry, New Hampshire. Some of her fondest memories were working on the farm with her family and making strawberry shortcakes with her mother every summer.

As a young woman, she worked in downtown Boston at an advertising agency and also worked as a model. She loved the excitement of working in the city and spending summers commuting to Cape Cod in her 1955 red convertible with her sister Carol and friends.

She met her husband, King, through their shared love of sailing, and they spent summers sailing around Cape Cod together. She loved the beach so much that King bought her a small plot of land on Saquish Beach in Cape Cod Bay as a gift for her 30th birthday.

She and King shared a love of travel, taking countless international trips and cruises throughout their retirement. One of her favorite cruise destinations was St. Lucia, where she befriended several local women who looked forward to her arrival each year because she always brought them gifts from the United States. Their travels also took them to Hawaii, Greece, Rome, and throughout Europe. One particularly memorable trip was their journey through the Panama Canal. In the late 1970s, she and King even flew around the world, stopping in places such as India, Japan, and Guam.

Ann was an exceptional cook who was always ahead of her time when it came to recipes and food trends. She would try just about any new food without hesitation and became well known among friends and family for her beloved apple cake. She became a vegetarian in the late 1970’s, before it was trendy.

She loved entertaining and hosting themed dinner parties with neighbors and friends. The themes often involved exploring foods from different countries, as well as hosting wine-tasting evenings where everyone rated the wines. What started as a bit of fun eventually turned the group into serious wine enthusiasts.

In her 40s, Ann started her own silk flower arranging business. For over 30 years, she created beautiful arrangements for weddings, parties, and holidays, while also making monthly deliveries to local businesses throughout Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. She managed every aspect of the business herself and was always willing to help anyone who needed an emergency bouquet, or to help decorate for the holidays.

Ann studied abstract art throughout her life, creating extraordinary sculptures as well as acrylic and oil paintings, several of which she sold. Her home became a gallery showcasing many of her favorite pieces.

Ann had an incredible zest for life and was always determined to stay active. She attended her local gym six days a week throughout her 60s, 70s, and 80s. There was very little she couldn’t do.

She was resourceful, intuitive, and remarkably handy, always finding a way to fix just about anything. It wasn’t uncommon to arrive at her house and find her on a 10-foot ladder tackling home improvements or decorating 12-foot Christmas trees for the holidays well into her 80s. She was fearless and never one to sit still, unless it was to watch one of her beloved Boston sports teams.

Ann was also an avid reader, keeping a journal documenting the remarkable number of books she read throughout her life.

She was a devout Catholic and generously supported Catholic charities throughout her life. Her faith was central to who she was and guided the way she lived.

Above all, Ann was an extraordinary caregiver to the people she loved. She cared for her aging mother until her final days, cared for her husband while he battled cancer for eight years, and later spent seven years caring for her older brother through his final years. Her dedication went far beyond providing day-to-day care. She immersed herself in learning about the many medications and insurance coverage involved in their care, attended every doctor’s appointment, and took incredibly detailed notes to ensure they received the best possible care. She was devoted, thorough, and tireless when it came to the people she loved.

Ann treasured her friendships and a good cup of coffee, a tradition reflected in her decades of morning visits to the local coffee shop.

She took tremendous pride in her grandchildren’s accomplishments and loved hearing about their careers, travels, and lives in San Francisco. Throughout their lives, she would often send care packages filled with freshly baked cookies and all their favorite snacks.

In her later years, Ann’s eldest daughter, Kim, lived with her and cared for her, sharing many special traditions along the way. Some of their fondest memories included sharing a slice of seven-layer chocolate cake at every birthday celebration, their Christmas morning coffee ritual, creating unique meatless Thanksgiving dinners, and sitting around the table reminiscing about stories and memories together.

Ann leaves behind a legacy of independence, curiosity, generosity, creativity, and an unwavering love for family and friends. She lived life on her own terms, embraced new experiences, and never lost her enthusiasm for the world around her.

She will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and community, all of whom were touched by her vibrant spirit and inspired by the extraordinary life she lived.

The family is planning a celebration of life and dedicated mass service in the spring and will contact friends and family.

Services are under the care of Douglas & Johnson Funeral Home, 214 Main Street, Salem, NH.